1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to personal mobility vehicles and more particularly to an improved personal mobility vehicle having a folding unit to fold the personal mobility vehicle for transportation and storage.
2. Description of the Related Art
The popularity of personal mobility vehicles has dramatically increased over the last several decades. This increase in the popularity of personal mobility vehicles is due to many factors including the advent of new structural material as well as new manufacturing techniques.
Although personal mobility vehicles of the prior art provide the desired mobility to the user, the personal mobility vehicles of the prior art suffered from certain disadvantages. Firstly, the personal mobility vehicles of the prior art were difficult to store during nonuse of the personal mobility vehicle. In general, the size of the personal mobility vehicles of the prior art prohibited the storage of the personal mobility vehicle within a closet or a small room.
Secondly, the personal mobility vehicles of the prior art were difficult to transport in a conventional automobile. In order to transport a personal mobility vehicle of the prior art in a conventional automobile, the personal mobility vehicle had to be dissembled prior to being placed into the luggage compartment of the conventional automobile.
Thirdly, the personal mobility vehicles of the prior art were difficult to lift in an assembled condition. The personal mobility vehicles of the prior art could be transported in a small truck, small van or a sports utility vehicle in an assembled form. Unfortunately, because of the overall size of the assembled personal mobility vehicles of the prior art, a lift, hoist or two individuals were required in order to lift the personal mobility vehicle from the ground to the luggage compartment of the small truck, small van or the sports utility vehicle.
Some in the prior art have attempted to solve the problems of the transportation and storage of a personal mobility vehicle by collapsing or folding the personal mobility vehicle. The following U.S. patents represent several attempts of the prior art to provide a collapsible or foldable personal mobility vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,004,619 to Straussler discloses a collapsible motor vehicle comprising a chassis having cross members and side members. One of the cross members carries drive wheels and the other cross member carries a steering wheel. A steering column couples a coupling connection from the steering column to the steering wheel. A seat is arranged on the side members. A motor in the chassis is connected to the drive wheels. Each of the side members has a movable section connecting the cross members. Guide means mounts on the side members to enable the movable sections to slide one with respect to the other. Coupling means is mounted on one of the movable sections to enable one of the cross members and one of the movable sections of each of the side members to slide one with respect to the other. Locking means rigidly fixes the movable sections of each side member in a running position of the vehicle, whereupon disengaging the locking means enables the vehicle to be arranged in a collapsed condition with the steering wheel touching the cross member of the drive wheels.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,213,957 to Wrigley discloses a self-propelled wheel chair comprising a seat supporting frame, a pair of rear wheels and a housing rigidly secured to the seat support frame. A front wheel in the housing is rotatably mounted to permit steering movement thereof. A drive motor is located in the housing for effecting rotation of the wheel on a horizontal axis to drive the wheel chair. Armrests are rigidly secured to the backrest supporting frame. A pivot connection is located between the back rest supporting frame and the seat supporting frame permitting hinging of the back rest supporting frame forwardly with respect to the seat rest supporting frame from a vertical position into a position in which the back rest supporting frame lies parallel with the seat supporting frame when not in use, a vertically positioned steering column extending into the housing and adapted to be releasably connected at its lower end to the front wheel and having a handle bar at its upper end. The steering column is positioned in front of the seat and centrally located with respect thereto and is removable for access to the chair. A battery support frame is positioned beneath the seat support frame with switch means controlling the electric motor. Means electrically connect the battery through the switch means to the electric motor. The steering column has a control rod extending centrally there through with the lower end of the control rod adapted releasably to engage the switch means to actuate the latter. A control lever is pivotally mounted to the column adjacent the handle bar and is operably connected to the control rod for actuation thereof. A latch mechanism is removably secured to the steering column in operable position.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,369,629 to Weiss discloses a self-propelled vehicle which has a seat and backrest independently foldable forwardly. A steering column is foldable rearwardly over the folded seat and backrest to achieve a small package for storage and transportation.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,580,348 to Di Blasi et al. discloses a collapsible frame for wheeled vehicles, comprising a main structure to which rear forks are pivoted and carry wheels, a front footboard carrying a steering wheel, and a seat. The forks, footboard and seat are clampable to an open position where the frame is at running conditions and are operable to assume a closed position where the forks and footboard enter the main structure on which the seat can be overturned, in this case the frame occupying a rather reduced volume or space.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,573 to Richardson discloses a portable foldable motor scooter with a substantially triangular chassis, each corner of which is pivotable and one leg of which is hinged to allow the chassis to be folded to a collapsed condition. A steering column is pivotally connected to the forward corner of the chassis and is detachable from the chassis. The driver's seat is supported on front and rear linkages, the front linkage including a triangular portion containing the leg hinge of the chassis. A single removable pin normally locks this hinge and maintains the front seat-supporting linkage rigid. Upon removal of the pin the chassis can be folded to its collapsed position and the seat can be swung downwardly toward the rear wheel and can be latched to the rear wheel fender, holding the chassis in its collapsed position. The steering column has a handle bar which can be swung inwardly and fastened so as not to protrude from the folded vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,739 to Kramer discloses a personal mobility vehicle including a floor pan with a rear drive unit at one end and a steerable front wheel at the other end. The drive unit is separable from the floor pan and includes spaced apart, differentially connected rear wheels, an electric motor, and belts and pulleys drivingly connecting the motor to a differential unit. The front wheel is steered by a tiller. A seat with a folding back is removably connected to the floor pan toward the pan rear end to concentrate the weight of the driver over the rear wheels to aid in traction. A brake is provided on the front wheel and is lockable for parking purposes. Each of the drive unit, seat unit, a battery, and a floor pan unit weighs less than thirty pounds such that the separated components can be easily lifted and manipulated for transportation of the vehicle between sites of use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,549 to Pankow discloses a golf car apparatus including a frame supported off the surface of the ground by at least three wheels, two of the wheels being positioned near the back end of the frame and being interconnected by an axle. DC batteries interconnected to an electrical motor are utilized to power golf car apparatus. A drive mechanism is interconnected to the electrical motor and a differential mechanism positioned near the center of the axle interconnecting the two rear wheels. Foot support means is defined by the frame on either side of the differential mechanism and extend under the axle for positioning of a user's feet such that when the user is standing on the golf car apparatus the user's feet extend at least partially under the axle so as to provide the golf car apparatus with a low center of gravity and a center of gravity distributed between the front and rear wheels.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,578 to Brandenfels discloses a chassis member with rear wheels and a battery compartment having a detachable connection with an upright front wheel support. The front wheeled support has a steering handle assembly pivotally connected thereto which can be locked in upright position or swung rearwardly into a folded position parallel with the front wheeled support, or pivoted forwardly for use as a dolly-type handle. An electric motor is mounted on the front wheel support and has lead wires to the battery and to a switch operated by a belt tightener providing driving power when a hand lever is depressed but providing free wheeling when the lever is released. The lead wires for the battery are of a length and have disconnects which allow the battery to be carried on the person if desired. The cart is adapted to receive a removable seat and when knocked down consists of the chassis member, the front wheeled support, the battery, and the seat if the latter is used. The cart can be used to transport a person either in a sit down or stand up position, it has luggage carrying arms on the front wheeled support, it can be used as a dolly with or without power from the battery, and importantly, each of the dismantled parts are small and light enough for easy carrying by most persons and capable of being stored in overhead airplane or other vehicle storage areas.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,971 to Bernstein discloses a lightweight universal electric wheeled chair formed of hollow tubular frame members. The seat is preferably cantilevered from rear frame members. The frame includes two lower side frame members, each of which has relatively small wheels mounted at both ends. The frame also includes two rear frame members, pivotally connected together intermediate their ends to form an “X” configuration with the lower ends of each of the rear frame members being pivotally secured to the rear ends of the lower side frame members. The front of the two lower side members are coupled together using two frame members and linear bearings coupling the two frame members to permit adjustment and collapsing of the wheeled chair. Two upper side members extend forwardly from the rear of the wheeled chair, and are secured to the rear frame members. A seat may be supported directly on these two upper side frame members, or the two upper side frame members may serve as arms for the wheeled chair, with the seat being slung from these arms at a lower position. Motor and gearing arrangements are provided for varying the distance between the two side members to change the height of the seat. When the lower side members are at their maximum separation, the pivoted rear frame members are very nearly parallel and horizontal. Nickel-cadmium batteries may be mounted in the tubular frame of the wheeled chair, and each of the rear wheels is provided with a small electric motor, aligned with and coupled to each rear wheel through appropriate gear reduction assemblies.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,525 to Flowers discloses a personal mobility vehicle comprising front and rear frame section that can be disassembled and assembled. The frame sections are secured together by a pivotable detachable connection such that the rear frame section is locked to the rear portion of the front frame section and the length of the assembled frame is substantially the same as the length of the front frame section itself. An auxiliary frame section is also provided which can be readily attached to the powered rear frame section to provide improved mobility in those situations in which space for turning is limited.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,955 to Hopely discloses a personal mobility vehicle comprising front and rear frame section that can be disassembled and assembled. The frame sections are secured together by a pivotable detachable connection such that the rear frame section is locked to the rear portion of the front frame section and the length of the assembled frame is substantially the same as the length of the front frame section itself.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,624 to Nesterick et al. discloses a modular power drive scooter, including as modular components a seat, a seat post, a mainframe, a trailer and at least one battery and is built in a manner allowing quick and easy disassembly of the scooter for compact storage. In assembled form, the seat post supports the seat and also serves as a lock pin which prevents separation of the mainframe from the trailer. The mainframe includes a front wheel, a tiller assembly for steering the scooter, and recesses for accommodating one or more batteries. The trailer includes a pair of rear wheels coupled to a differential that is driven by an electric motor, and a removable storage tray that provides access to the motor. A stem member extending from the trailer engages the mainframe in an overlapping relation whereby apertures in the stem member align with ports in the mainframe. The seat post is inserted into a selected port to determine the spacing of the seat from the tiller assembly. Removal of the seat post from an aligned aperture and port enables the mainframe and the trailer to be separated by pulling a first handle located on the stem member to pivot the trailer relative to the mainframe, and then by lifting the mainframe by a second handle to disengage coupling hooks on the mainframe from a coupling rod of the trailer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,938 to Blount et al. discloses a riding scooter that may be assembled and disassembled without the use of tools. The riding scooter is formed of components of a size and weight to be handled by a person of modest physical strength. The scooter's front and rear sections have overlapping engaging parts that are biased together in the operative position by the weight of the sections alone. Batteries for electrical power are contained within casings which are cooperatively retained within a battery housing and which also permit the batteries to be simultaneously electrically connected to the vehicle electrical system upon insertion of the battery casings within the battery housing. A steering tiller is detachably mounted to the front steering yoke being retained in an operative position by a quick release collar. Control for forward and reverse movement is accomplished through linkage which permits convenient manipulation of the control handle while providing maximum adjustment of an electric potentiometer which controls the electric motor; and, the seat assembly is designed to retain a selected adjustment from disassembly to assembly and further acts to reinforce the biased engagement of the front and rear sections of the scooter.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,762 to Stegeman et al. discloses a personal mobility vehicle including front and rear frames that are connected together in use. The rear frame supports the rear axle and drive wheels, as well as the electric motor/brake system. The front frame supports a front wheel spindle to which one or more front wheels are attached. A tiller is mounted to the front spindle, the tiller being collapsible for storage of the vehicle. A seat post is mounted to the front frame for supporting a removable seat, and a floor pan is mounted to the front frame to support the vehicular batteries, as well provide a foot rest for the rider. The front and rear frames are preferably connected together with a plate having a depending J-hook arranged to engage a plate having a depending lip. A latch and latch receiver serve to lock the connection together with the plates bearing against each other in compression to support the vehicle and rider. The tiller is positioned in a plurality of lock positions, including one collapsed position for compact storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,082 to Stegeman et al. discloses a personal mobility vehicle including front and rear frames that are connected together in use. The rear frame supports the rear axle and drive wheels, as well as the electric motor/brake system. The front frame supports a front wheel spindle to which one or more front wheels are attached. A tiller is mounted to the front spindle, the tiller being collapsible for storage of the vehicle. A seat post is mounted to the front frame for supporting a removable seat, and a floor pan is mounted to the front frame to support the vehicular batteries, as well provide a foot rest for the rider. The front and rear frames are preferably connected together with a plate having a depending J-hook arranged to engage a plate having a depending lip. A latch and latch receiver serve to lock the connection together with the plates bearing against each other in compression to support the vehicle and rider. The tiller is positioned in a plurality of lock positions, including one collapsed position for compact storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,695 to Piazzi discloses a portable collapsible golf cart vehicle adapted for use on a golf fairway and collapsible for storage and transport. A scooter-type vehicle having a steering mechanism and rear propelling mechanism in which the steering mechanism includes a steering column coupled with a steering handle for rotation of the steering column. A pivotal connection is provided for pivotally connecting and locking the steering mechanism in one position during propelling of the vehicle and in another position for storage of the vehicle. The mechanism includes a pivotal unit and a rear wheel with the pivotal unit being in a first position for use in a scooter vehicle and in a second position for storage in the compact condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,267 to Tiffany et al. discloses a collapsible, portable golf cart including a frame assembly and a wheel assembly operatively connected to the frame assembly for movement of the main frame assembly along a surface. The golf cart further includes a collapsible support assembly operatively connected to the main the frame assembly for selective movement between an erected position and a collapsed position relative to the frame assembly. A seating member for a cart rider is operatively connected to the collapsible support means for movement with the collapsible support means between the above mentioned positions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,126 to Shortt et al. discloses a light, portable golf riding apparatus that may be electric motor or pedal driven. The lightness of the apparatus is provided in part by using a tubular construction, with few, if any, panels, and portability is provided by having the apparatus formed from several sections or frameworks pivoting in relation to each other. In one embodiment, a first central section holds the power train and rear wheels, a front section holds the steering column, and a third a seat for the rider. The central and front sections pivot towards each other, the seat folds onto the central section and the steering collapses about the apparatus to form a compact body.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,021 to Schaffner et al. discloses an electrically operated scooter vehicle for use by elderly, disabled and infirm people and including a self-locking connection means for connecting front and rear frame portions of the scooter. The scooter is convertible between three-wheel and four-wheel versions without use of tools. Automatic shut-off circuitry minimizes inadvertent loss of battery power due to failure to turn off the scooter. An adjustably lockable telescoping tiller facilitates use of the scooter by persons of all sizes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,921 to Derven et al. discloses a folding bicycle trailer including a body portion having a passenger-receiving area, axle mounts, tongue mounts, and canopy mounts. The body portion is a unitary, one-piece structure, with the mounts being integrally formed therewith. An axle member is secured to the axle mount and carries wheel supports on each end thereof. The wheel supports are shiftable between an operable, extended position and a folded, storage position. A wheel is carried on each wheel support for free rotation relative thereto. An elongate tongue is carried on the tongue mount and extends forward from the body portion. A canopy frame, including fore and aft canopy members, is mounted on the body portion and is shiftable between a collapsible condition and a raised condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,337 B1 to McConnell et al. discloses a personal mobility vehicle having front and rear chassis members interconnected by a locking means. The rear chassis member includes alignment means for aligning the rear chassis with a suspension assembly of the front chassis. An adjustable seat assembly supports a user while preventing accidental disengagement of the locking means.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,002 B1 to Choi et al. discloses a wheelchair having a seat and a plurality of wheels for rolling the wheelchair along a ground surface. The seat includes a seat bottom and a seat back pivotally coupled to the seat bottom. The seat back is movable between a folded position and an unfolded position. The seat bottom has a back end formed from a first curved shape, and the seat back has a bottom end formed from a second curved shape. The first curved shape of the seat bottom is sized to mate with the second curved shape of the seat back when the seat back is in the unfolded position. A motor coupled to each rear wheel and a control stick is in communication with each motor for independently operating each of the motors to drive and steer the wheel chair.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,186,252 B1 to Schaffner et al. discloses a power chair comprising a frame transversely foldable between operating and transport positions. A seat is connected to the frame, with a pair of drive wheels also connected to the frame. The drive wheels are rotatable about a transverse axis below a portion of the seat supporting an occupant's thighs. The power chair further includes motors for driving respective drive wheels. Perspective motor/drive wheel combinations are pivotally connected to the frame. At least one ground-engaging idler wheel is connected to the frame, located rearward of the drive wheels. At least one anti-tip wheel is positioned above ground, forward of the drive wheels, and connected to the frame for movement relative to the frame upon encountering an obstacle.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved foldable personal mobility vehicle capable of being folded for transportation and storage.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved foldable personal mobility vehicle incorporating a tiller for functioning as a lever for manually folding the improved foldable personal mobility vehicle.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved foldable personal mobility vehicle incorporating a drive unit for rotating the driving wheel for assisting in the folding of the front unit relative to the rear unit of the foldable personal mobility vehicle.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved foldable personal mobility vehicle incorporating a chair support for collapsing a chair upon folding of the foldable personal mobility vehicle.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved foldable personal mobility vehicle that may be moved easily on wheels when the improved foldable personal mobility vehicle is disposed in a folded condition.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved foldable personal mobility vehicle that may be moved by incorporating a drive unit for rotating the driving wheel to move the improved foldable personal mobility vehicle in a folded condition.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved foldable personal mobility vehicle that may be stored in an upright, self-standing folded condition.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved foldable personal mobility vehicle that may be transported in the luggage compartment of a conventional automobile by folding the improved foldable personal mobility vehicle.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved foldable personal mobility vehicle that may be folded without the need to dissemble the personal mobility vehicle.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved foldable personal mobility vehicle that is light in weight to be easily lifted without the use of lifts and hoists.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved foldable personal mobility vehicle that is light in weight to be easily lifted without the use of lifts and hoists into the luggage compartment of a conventional automobile.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed as being merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by modifying the invention within the scope of the invention. Accordingly other objects in a full understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description describing the preferred embodiment of the invention.